The invention relates to a franking machine having a clamping device which can be driven via a drive device and by means of which an item of mail to be franked is securely clamped against a stop element. The clamping device comprises a clamping unit, which is provided for interacting with the item of mail, and a gearing device, which is connected to the clamping unit and the drive device and is intended for displacing the clamping unit in the direction of the stop element.
Conventional franking machines may be subdivided roughly into two groups depending on the volume of mail that is to be processed. The franking machines which are designed for a relatively large amount of mail are usually equipped with a transporting mechanism for the letter which is to be processed. In contrast, in the case of franking machines for a relatively small amount of mail, for example in the range of fewer than 20 to 30 letters per day, the letter usually has to be introduced and removed manually.
In order to ensure reliable positioning of a letter in relation to the printing head during printing of the franking mark, a clamping device is usually provided in the case of the franking machines wherein letters are fed manually, the clamping device clamping the letter against a stop plate, in order to fix it, during the printing operation. Provided in this stop plate is a printing window through which the printing head can print the letter with the franking mark.
In this context, it usually has to be ensured that it is possible to process letters of different thicknesses over a certain range. The maximum thicknesses to be processed here are usually in the region of 10 mm (0.4 in). It is thus necessary for the clamping mechanism and/or the drive thereof, to be configured such that they can compensate for different letter thicknesses.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,178 (see European published patent application EP 0 825 563 A2) discloses a franking machine of the generic type. There, the thickness compensation is achieved in that the clamping plate which presses the letter against the stop plate is pressed against the letter by two helical springs supported on the base of the franking machine. Depending on the thickness of the letter, a corresponding excursion of the helical springs is produced here. The drive device via which the clamping device can be opened and closed is coupled to the clamping plate via a rocking lever, of which the end which is directed away from the clamping plate runs on a cam plate, connected to the drive device. The drive device, rather than applying the clamping force, applies the force for opening the clamping device counter to the spring force of the helical springs. With each action for securely clamping the letter, the drive device always executes a predetermined drive displacement which corresponds to half a revolution of the cam plate.
This configuration, however, first of all has the disadvantage that, as a result of the helical springs having to be supported on the base of the franking machine, the clamping mechanism takes up a comparatively large amount of space in the interior of the franking machine, as a result of which the installation space taken up by the franking machine is increased overall.
This is not particularly desirable, not least from an esthetic point of view. It is precisely in relatively small offices or the like, for which this type of franking machine is intended, that there is often also a problem with space, with the result that, for this reason as well, the aim is to achieve the smallest possible configuration.
A further disadvantage of this known configuration is that the clamping force achieved varies to a very pronounced extent depending on the thickness of the letter which is to be clamped. Depending on the nature of the letter, the latter is then pressed into the printing window to a more or less pronounced extent, this resulting, in some circumstances, in a greatly varying distance between the printing head and letter, which may have an adverse effect on the printing result.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a franking machine with a clamping device for a piece of mail, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and which provides for a franking machine with the smallest possible clamping configuration along with a low variation in the clamping force.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a franking machine, comprising:
a clamping device configured to clamp an item of mail to be franked against a stop element;
a drive device for driving the clamping device;
the clamping device including a clamping unit configured to interact with the item of mail, and a gearing device connected to the clamping unit and the drive device for displacing the clamping unit in a direction towards the stop element; and
the clamping unit and/or the gearing device having an elastic compensation section, the compensation section, upon a predetermined drive displacement of the drive device, compensating for different thicknesses of the item of mail by elastic deformation of the compensation section.
The invention is based on the technical teaching that a small franking machine is obtained if the clamping unit and/or the gearing device have/has at least one compensation section which is designed elastically such that, in the case of a predetermined drive displacement of the drive device, compensation for different thicknesses of the item of mail is provided by elastic deformation of the compensation section.
By virtue of the compensation mechanism being integrated according to the invention in the clamping unit and/or the gearing device, it is possible, in contrast to the known franking machine, to save a considerable amount of installation space, which is then available for the arrangement of other functional units of the franking machine, as a result of which a smaller franking machine is advantageously achieved.
Furthermore, by virtue of the compensation section being arranged and/or configured in a suitable manner, it is possible to achieve a configuration with a considerably lower variation in the clamping force for different thicknesses of items of mail.
It is thus readily possible for the compensation section to be of a sufficiently long length, which results in its elastic deformation behavior having a smooth characteristic curve, which in turn results in a low variation in the clamping force, even in the case of relatively large thickness variations, i.e. relatively large variations in the clamping displacement. It is also possible, in addition, for the compensation section to be arranged at a large distance from the clamping device in a region which, throughout the clamping movement, is only subjected to relatively small deflections in any case, with the result that, with the elastic deformation behavior of the compensation section having a sufficiently smooth characteristic curve, as mentioned above, comparatively small variations in the clamping force are produced.
A further advantage of the configuration according to the invention is that, by virtue of the compensation mechanism being integrated in the clamping unit and/or the gearing device, it is always possible for there to be a force-fitting or form-fitting connection between the links of the active chain, while that end of the rocking lever of the known franking machine which interacts with the cam plate, depending on the thickness of the item of mail which is to be processed, during the secure-clamping operation, lifts off from the cam plate to a more or less pronounced extent. This is both advantageous in terms of noise and favorable in terms of the wear to which the clamping mechanism is subjected.
The compensation section may be arranged as desired within or on the clamping unit and, in addition or alternatively, within or on the gearing device.
In the case of variants of the franking machine according to the invention which are preferred because they are of particularly straightforward configuration, the gearing device comprises a first lever arm, a first compensation section then being arranged on the lever arm.
It is possible here for the first compensation section to continue the contour of the first lever arm without any transition and merely to consist of a correspondingly more elastic material. In order to achieve the length which is necessary for the low variation in clamping force and/or the smooth characteristic curve, it may preferably be provided that the compensation section extends over at least more or less the entire first lever arm or forms the same.
The first compensation section is preferably formed by a leaf-spring-like spring section of the first lever arm, since such a configuration can be realized in a particularly straightforward manner.
Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the spring section has at least one bending section with a U-shaped profile. On the one hand, this makes it possible to achieve, even in a constricted amount of space, a particularly long compensation section which has a particularly smooth characteristic curve with a low variation in clamping force. On the other hand, this makes it possible to achieve, even in the case of constricted space conditions, relatively large spring excursions, as a result of which a large variation in thickness of the processable items of mail is possible.
As has been mentioned, a compensation section may also be arranged in the region of the clamping unit. It is thus possible for the clamping unit to comprise, for example, a clamping plate which interacts with the item of mail, is arranged in a movable manner in or on a clamping plate carrier and, depending on the thickness of the item of mail which is to be clamped, is spaced apart from the clamping plate carrier to a more or less pronounced extent. Between these two, it is then possible to arrange a compensation section, for example a spring, an elastic intermediate layer or the like, which, depending on the distance between the clamping plate and the clamping-plate carrier, is elastically deformed to a more or less pronounced extent.
In the case of further preferred variants of the franking machine according to the invention, the clamping unit comprises a clamping plate, a second compensation section being arranged on the clamping plate. It is thus possible for the clamping plate, for example, itself to consist, wholly or partially, of a corresponding elastic material.
In the case of further advantageous variants of the franking machine according to the invention, it is provided that the gearing device comprises at least a first gearing element and a second gearing element which is coupled to the first gearing element via a coupling element, a third compensation section being arranged on the coupling element. In other words, it is possible here for straightforward structural elements, such as lever arms, gearwheels or the like, to be coupled to one another via a coupling element which is provided between them and then provides the thickness compensation by elastic deformation.
In the case of variants of particularly straightforward construction, the first gearing element or the second gearing element comprises, preferably both gearing elements comprise, a lever arm.
It goes without saying that the compensation section may be made up of different components, layers or elements, since it is hereby possible to adjust within wide limits the desired properties of the compensation section in terms of the characteristic deformation curve, the service life, etc.
For the compensation section, it is possible to use any desired sufficiently elastic materials which ensure sufficiently long service life. The compensation section preferably consists, at least in part, of one or more spring materials, since these materials usually satisfy this requirement particularly well.
Appropriate metals, metal alloys, etc. may be used as the spring materials. In the case of further favorable variants, the compensation section consists, at least in part, of an elastic plastic or plastic mixture. It is possible for these to be made into any desired shape particularly easily and to be reinforced by appropriate reinforcing inserts and the like. Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a franking machine having a clamping device for an item of mail, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.